Effect of Unloading Condition on the Healing Process and Effectiveness of Platelet Rich Plasma as a Countermeasure: Study on In Vivo and In Vitro Wound Healing Models
Preclinical published in Int J Mol Sci (2020)
Abstract
Wound healing is a very complex process that allows organisms to survive injuries. It is strictly regulated by a number of biochemical and physical factors, mechanical forces included. Studying wound healing in space is interesting for two main reasons: (i) defining tools, procedures, and protocols to manage serious wounds and burns eventually occurring in future long-lasting space exploration missions, without the possibility of timely medical evacuation to Earth; (ii) understanding the role of gravity and mechanical factors in the healing process and scarring, thus contributing to unravelling the mechanisms underlying the switching between perfect regeneration and imperfect repair with scarring. In the study presented here, a new in vivo sutured wound healing model in the leech (Hirudo medicinalis) has been used to evaluate the effect of unloading conditions on the healing process and the effectiveness of platelet rich plasma (PRP) as a countermeasure. The results reveal that microgravity caused a healing delay and structural alterations in the repair tissue, which were prevented by PRP treatment. Moreover, investigating the effects of microgravity and PRP on an in vitro wound healing model, it was found that PRP is able to counteract the microgravity-induced impairment in fibroblast migration to the wound site. This could be one of the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of PRP in preventing healing impairment in unloading conditions.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
Novel sutured wound-healing model in Hirudo medicinalis demonstrates that microgravity impairs healing; platelet-rich plasma reverses microgravity-induced delays and structural alterations.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este estudio utilizó Hirudo medicinalis como modelo in vivo de cicatrización de heridas suturadas para evaluar los efectos de las condiciones de descarga (microgravedad) sobre la reparación tisular y la efectividad del plasma rico en plaquetas (PRP) como contramedida, complementado con un modelo in vitro de migración de fibroblastos. Es relevante para el ámbito de ASH solo en la medida en que la sanguijuela sirve como sujeto experimental para estudiar la biología de la cicatrización de heridas —el estudio halló que la microgravedad causó retrasos en la cicatrización y alteraciones estructurales en el tejido de reparación de la sanguijuela, efectos prevenidos por el PRP. No obstante, aquí la sanguijuela se emplea como organismo modelo, no como agente terapéutico; el estudio no investiga hirudoterapia, saliva de sanguijuela, componentes del secretoma de la sanguijuela ni ninguna intervención derivada de sanguijuelas. El foco reside en los mecanismos de cicatrización de heridas bajo microgravedad y en la eficacia del PRP, sin aplicación terapéutica de sanguijuelas ni de productos de sanguijuela.
Citación
Effect of Unloading Condition on the Healing Process and Effectiveness of Platelet Rich Plasma as a Countermeasure: Study on In Vivo and In Vitro Wound Healing Models.
Cialdai F et al. · International journal of molecular sciences, 2020
Contexto clínico relacionado
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 26, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: 18 de junio de 2026